“As I started reeling in, the rod bent until the tip was almost in the water,” Gerson said, “Soon I wasn’t reeling, but instead holding on for dear life as line was running out of the spool at an alarming speed.”

A fishing guide onboard estimated the giant fish to be more than 300 pounds and possibly 50 years old.

That prompted the group to label their catch “The Dinosaur.”

Gerson wanted to document the encounter with the shark-like creature, so he jumped in the water and took a few photos.

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Rose Scott signals as Closer Look goes on air in the WABE studio. An Atlanta resident left WABE a $3 million donation, a boost after WABE lost $1.9 million in annual funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. (Ben Gray / AJC file)

Credit: Ben Gray